Where is the evidence that car fumes cause cancer? And I will look at smokers like they are committing a crime. They are polluting the environment and my body with their filthy habit, and they are also draining the public purse when they get sick. Smokers might love to smoke, but they are the first to demand and expect treatment when the consequences catch up to them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/exhaust_emissions.shtml "Long-term exposure to Benzene has been shown cause leukaemia. It's also thought that the harmful impact that the chemical can have on the immune system may lower the body's defence against tumours." http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carschemicals.htm "From human evidence and supporting animal studies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that benzene is carcinogenic." http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2009/04/reducing_cancer_risk_cutting_e.html "Reducing Cancer Risk: Cutting exposure to exhaust fumes can keep you healthy" In America, they add about $25 Billion a year to that public purse for the taxes they pay on cigarettes. In addition to that, there are plenty of smokers who pay for their own medical care. Where is your evidence to back up this statement?
I have to agree -- nothing more smug than an ANTI-smoker. If you don't wanna smoke, fine... nobody's gonna force you to do it. But for pete's sake, you're not gonna live forever just because you don't light up. And for those who abhor people of the opposite sex who smoke... that's OK, too. Leaves more otherwise great people for the rest of us to pick from. Not pointing any fingers here -- but anybody notice it's the same people who tend to be a little 'uptight' about every little thing who say they've NEVER SMOKED AND NEVER WOULD! Also notice most are lefties? It's that tolerance thing. Everybody who doesn't think just like them is WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! We're all gonna die of something. I quit because it was beginning to affect my lung capacity and my kind and compassionate ex-smoker doctor convinced me I'd feel better if I stopped (which I do). If he'd have tried to scare me into quitting, I'd prob still be puffing away. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em, folks. To each his/her own.
It's too hard to quit so if a tip works it's pure coincidence. It only works when the motivation is right. After having smoked 30+ years I was lucky enough to hit the right motivation 5 years ago. Not sure I could do it today. And I certainly couldn't before.
Unless things are different in Australia, smokers pay a hefty SIN tax. That enormous tax is paid so that I can demand and expect treatment should my ailment be smoking related. The government demands I pay this SIN tax and I pay it...are you suggesting I am not entitled to demand and expect treatment?
I know a car crashing victim who expected treatment rather urgently after the consequences of driving caught up to him. If you have a health care system then you have it for better or for worse. Rejecting people on suspicion of more or less self-inflicted health risks is a sliding slope. There are no arguments for treating a person who attempted suicide over a smoker who's got lung cancer over a person who's crashed with a car over a sewage worker who caught a colera infection .. etc. etc. If you don't have a health care system then, well, then there's not even a consideration in this.
It is no coincidence that the endless chatter about healthy eating, obesity, polyunsaturated oils vs partially hydrogenated oils etc, etc flows so often from politicians. They all need more money and they are laying the groundwork on the populace to obtain that money from them. Shouldn't they just call Soda Tax...sugar tax. Yep, we all are gonna die of something and they will get the money out of you before, or after (amazingly enough), smoker or unhealthy eater/drinker...it makes no difference.
I voted smoker although I haven't smoked in years because I wouldn't want to be considered a non-smoker. I try to be polite, reasonable, and caring so I wouldn't want people to think I was a non-smoker.
